Just another ridiculous buy from Jean-Marc Lafage... 93 pt Old Vine Grenache blend... for $15.99? Easily comparable to $40+ wines from the Rhone...

Lafage Tessellae Old Vines Grenache / Syrah / Mourvedre 2018

Sale $15.99 - very limited supply...

93 pts Jeb Dunnuck

70 year-old vines, organically grown and hand-harvested. All fermented and aged in concrete tanks. Concrete? Yeah… it’s the perfect vehicle for making fruit-forward wines. Unlike oak barrels, there are no “outside” flavors that come into play. So you get nothing but pure, vibrant blackberry and cherry fruit. The tanks stay cool as well, so the sexy, vibrant aromas of violets and wildflowers of youth are captured and bottled! Still, the concrete allows for a smidge of oxygen exchange, which helps bind everything together and smooth out the edges. The result is an incredibly captivating bottle of wine from beginning to end.

“Kirsch, blackberries, flowers, and peppery garrigue notes all emerge from the 2018 Tessellae Old Vines. Medium to full-bodied, with a beautifully balanced, elegant style, ripe tannins, and a great finish, this will stand up to many a top Châteauneuf du Pape. The blend is 50% Grenache, 40% Syrah, and the rest Mourvèdre.”

Or reply. The wine will be available Thursday in Chapel Hill. Friday, as ordered, in Hillsborough.